Child's Play
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU. Damon, Elena, Caroline, and Klaus get transformed into 10-year-old children. Is it a spell? Or something worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Child's Play**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Okay, this idea came to me today. It's an AU, featuring Delena and Klaroline. The plot is this: Damon, Elena, Klaus, and Caroline are transformed into children.**_

_**Don't ask, my mind can be weird.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Salvatore Boarding House..._

The morning light shone into the room as usually did, covering everything in its path with a pure, golden glow. This morning, however, was going to be different. But, it wasn't going to be different in a good way, though it wasn't going to be different in a bad way either. More like somewhere in between good and bad.

Damon Salvatore stretched as he got up, unaware that things weren't exactly as they seemed. That is, until he opened the closet and looked in the huge mirror on the door. Instead of seeing the reflection of a black-haired, blue-eyed man, he saw the reflection of a black-haired, blue-eyed boy. A ten-year-old boy to be exact.

"**SHIT!"**

Damon's holler alerted Stefan to the situation and he was in his brother's doorway in seconds. When he arrived, he saw the same thing that Damon saw when he looked in the mirror just a few minutes ago.

"Damon, what the hell happened to you?"

Damon looked at his brother and scowled. "What does it look like, Stefan? When I went to bed last night, I was a hundred and seventy-two years old. This morning, I wake up and I'm ten. I haven't been ten years old since 1850."

"I can see why you let out that scream," said Stefan. "Any idea what caused it?"

"Does it look like I know?" said Damon. "No, I'm completely clueless. But, whatever caused this, I'm going to get to the bottom of it and see if there's a way to get me back to the way I was."

Stefan was about to answer him when he heard a phone ring. Damon vamp sped over to the nightstand and saw that it was his phone. He looked at the ID and saw Elena's number on it. Not sure why she'd call but curious anyway, he pressed "Send" and brought the phone to his ear.

"Elena?"

"Oh, Damon, thank God. I saw my reflection in my mirror and saw that I'm ten years old again."

Damon blinked. "You too?"

"Me too?" said Elena. "You mean the same thing happened to you?"

"I'm afraid so," said Damon. "And I haven't the slightest clue how or why."

"I'll call Bonnie," said Elena. "Maybe she'll know. This could be a spell and if it is, she can use her magic to reverse it."

"Worth a shot," said Damon. "I sure as hell don't be ten years old any longer than I have to. God knows a lot of bad shit happened the first time." Not giving Elena a chance to reply, he added, "Give Witchy a call and let me know what she says, okay?"

"Okay," said Elena. "I'll call you back with any information she can give me."

Damon nodded and hung up, looking at Stefan. "Same thing happened to Elena. She's going to see if Bonnie knows if it's a spell that's reverted us back to being children."

"What if Bonnie can't find anything?"

"O ye of little faith, brother," said Damon. "Witchy has never let us down before. If anyone can help us, it's her."

Stefan nodded. "For your sake, I hope you're right."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Why? Afraid that you've just gotten a _little_ brother in place of your _big_ brother?"

"No," said Stefan. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up. I also don't want Elena to get her hopes up." He sighed. "But, I suppose I could try to be optimistic. This could be a temporary thing, about twenty-four hours at the most. With any luck, you'll be back to normal by sunset tomorrow."

Damon said nothing to that, just nodded. Great, he was stuck in a ten-year-old body, even if it was temporary. He refused to think that Bonnie might not be able to help them, and they'd be on their own to find a way to refuse whatever the hell it was that had caused this.

_**Note: Yeah, I kid you not, this is my new story. Oh, and both couples are dating when this story takes place. Stay tuned!**_

_**Reviews are love!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Child's Play," Damon wakes up to discover that he has been reduced to a 10-year-old, and hears from Elena that the same has happened to her.**_

_**Wow, nine reviews, that is AWESOME! And to answer the question as to who Stefan's dating, I'm putting him with Meredith, you know, as a change of pace from either Katherine or Rebekah.**_

_**ON WITH THE STORY!**_

_Forbes House – That Same Moment..._

Meanwhile, unaware that anything strange had happened, Caroline was just waking up, yawning and stretching as she did so. She had slept well, better than she had in a while, and she was eager to face the day ahead, like she normally would. However, said eagerness was shattered when she looked at her reflection in her vanity mirror. Instead of the normal reflection she usually saw, she saw something different. Something that wasn't supposed to be there.

Caroline screamed and stepped backward from the reflection, falling onto her bed. What the hell happened here? She didn't look that way when she went to sleep last night, so why the hell was she suddenly...a ten-year-old?

Before she could begin to question this, Caroline heard a vibration and, picking up her phone, she saw that she had a text message. Looking at it closer, she saw that it was from Klaus.

"_Meet me in the living room."_

Not about to keep him waiting, since this probably had something to do with her situation, whatever the hell it was. She threw on her robe since she was sure that none of her clothes fit her because her body was smaller than it was before and went to the living room, where she saw Klaus sitting on the couch. As she got closer, she saw that the same thing had happened to him.

Before she could say a word, he said, "Something serious has happened, love."

Caroline nodded. "I know. I looked in my mirror just now and this was what stared back at me. Klaus, I've been turned into a child."

"As have I." Not giving her a chance to reply, he added, "Did you see anything or anyone supicious outside before you went to bed last night?"

"No, not that I know of," said Caroline. "Why?"

Before Klaus could answer her, the door bell rang. Not sure who this was, Caroline hurried to the door and looked through the peep hole, her eyes widening when she saw who it was, looking back at Klaus.

"It's Stefan. Damon and Elena are with him. Apparently, what happened to us has happened to them too."

Klaus nodded. "Let them in."

Caroline opened the door, letting Stefan, Damon, and Elena into the house. Although it was good to know that she and Klaus weren't the only ones that were in this situation, she was still a bit worried, especially since Klaus' earlier question never got answered.

It was quiet until Stefan spoke first. "I guess you already know why we're here, right?"

"Yeah," said Caroline. "Damon and Elena are in the same situation Klaus and I are in." She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't get it, Stefan. Why did this happen?" She cocked her head curiously. "And why didn't it happen to you?"

"I was just about to ask that same thing," said Klaus. "Why only Damon, Elena, Caroline, and myself?"

"I don't know," said Stefan. "Elena called Bonnie and we have yet to hear anything back in regard to what might have caused this." He sighed. "But, just because we don't know what caused it, that doesn't mean we won't figure out a way to reverse it."

Damon rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Yeah, the sooner, the better. If I have to stay this way for longer than twenty-four hours, I might as well just take my day ring off and let the sun burn me."

Elena looked at him. "Damon, please, don't talk like that. Bonnie is going to find a way to get us out of this. Like I said over the phone, she's never let me down, so I think we can count on her." She looked at Caroline. "In the meantime, we'll have to make the best of this."

"That's going to be easier said than done, you know," said Caroline. "Hello, in case you haven't noticed, Elena, we're supposed to be seniors in high school, not fifth graders. How are we supposed to blend in?"

Klaus nodded. "Caroline does raise a valid point. You're going to look suspicious if you went to school the way you are now." He looked toward Damon. "And Damon is surely going to get looks when he goes to order his usual bourbon at the bar."

"Oh, and the same thing isn't going to happen to _you_?" said Damon. "I'm sure that you got some looks of your own from Rebekah this morning, since the last time she checked, you were an adult."

Stefan was about to say something when his phone rang. He looked at the ID and saw Meredith's number. Before he could wonder why, he remembered that she was going to call him before she went to work this morning. Not wanting to blow her off, he pressed "Send" and brought the phone to his ear.

"Meredith?"

"Hey, you," she said. "Just keeping my promise to call you."

Stefan smiled. He'd say this for the lovely Dr. Fell, she was good at keeping promises. "Yeah, and I love you for it. Listen, uh, I'm here at Caroline's. Something very serious, but very strange just happened."

"What happened, Stefan?" said Meredith. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Stefan. "But, you're not going to believe me when I tell you what the situation is."

"Jesus, don't tell me Damon's done something stupid again."

"I wish I could tell you that's what it is, but it's not," said Stefan. "Just come to Caroline's and you'll see what I mean."

With that, he hung up the phone and noticed that Damon had a mischievous smirk on his face, his blue eyes sparkling. "Don't start with me, Damon. Okay, so I'm dating Meredith, you don't have to jump into Tease Mode."

Damon ignored him and said, "Stefan and Meredith sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Stefan growled at him. Shit, even in _this_ form, Damon was an ass. "Shut up, Damon! I _told_ you not to start with me."

"Actually, it's rather entertaining, since you've got another beloved in your life," said Klaus. "Tell me, Stefan, when were you going to mention that you and the lovely Dr. Fell were together?"

Caroline got curious too. "You're _really_ dating Meredith?"

Elena scowled at Damon for teasing Stefan, but then her curiosity got the better of her. "You're with Dr. Fell? Oooh, how long has this been going on?"

"Not long, maybe a month or two," said Stefan. "I didn't tell anyone because it's early in the relationship and I didn't want anyone to make a big deal out of it." He glared at Damon. "_Especially_ a certain _brother_ of mine."

Damon smirked. "You do realize that you're not the first guy she's been with, don't you? I mean, she _was_ with Ric. Emphasis on the was."

"I'm well aware of that, Damon," said Stefan. "And before you ask, I'm not using her for blood. My feelings for her are genuine."

"No one's questioning that, mate," said Klaus. "Inquiring minds wanted to know, that's all."

Stefan didn't hear him. He was still looking at Damon, who still had the mischievous look on his face from before. He had a feeling that the teasing was far from over.

_**Note: Here you go, guys, an update. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Child's Play," Caroline discovers she's turned into a child, as does Klaus. Stefan then comes by, followed by Damon and Elena, and gets a call from Meredith.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews, guys! You're awesome!**_

_A Short Time Later..._

Meredith Fell stepped out of her car as soon as she arrived at the Forbes house. She had been curious about what Stefan told her on the phone, especially since he said that he'd show her when she got there. Speaking of Stefan, he opened the door as he saw her approaching the house, went out to greet her with an embrace and a kiss. Meredith returned both without fail, even though she still didn't know what the situation was.

"Nice as this greeting is, Stefan, I'd still like to know what this is about."

Stefan nodded, having remembered his promise. "You're right." He took her hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

Meredith nodded as well and let him lead her the rest of the way. When they entered the house, she saw four children in the living room.

"Stefan, what the hell is going on here? What are these children doing here? Is Caroline baby-sitting and roped you into helping her?"

Damon rolled his eyes at this. God bless her, Meredith was a nice girl and all, but she didn't have a clue sometimes and it made him wonder what Stefan saw in her.

"For your information, Doc, Blondie isn't baby-sitting," he said. "Unless, of course, she's baby-sitting herself."

Meredith raised an eyebrow at that familiar cockiness. "Damon, is that you?"

"No, it's Antonio Banderas," said Damon. "Of course it's me. Only in a much younger form. That's what my brother wanted to tell you, but he thought you wouldn't believe him, so he thought it would be better to show you."

"He's right," said Stefan. "This is what I wanted to tell you. Apparently, Damon, Elena, Caroline, and Klaus have been transformed into children and we have no idea what caused it or who could've done it. We're waiting for Bonnie to give us information."

"This is too weird," said Meredith. "Then again, I'm a doctor, so I've seen weirder shit." She sighed. "So, what are we going to do? I mean, we have to do something to help them."

Stefan was about to answer her when his cell phone rang. Not sure who this was, he took the phone out of his pocket, looked at the ID and saw Bonnie's number on the screen. Thinking that this was what they were hoping for, he pressed "Send" and brought the phone to his ear.

"Bonnie," he said. "What have you got for us? Have you found out why Elena, Damon, Caroline, and Klaus got transformed into ten-year-olds?"

"I have," the young witch replied. "Brace yourself, it's not good."

"Not good?" said Stefan. "What do you mean it's not good? What makes it not good?"

"Elena asked if this was a spell when she contacted me earlier," said Bonnie. "I looked through my grimoire for spells that turn people into children and when I looked on the page, I saw that it wasn't a spell at all. It's more like...a curse."

"A curse?" said Stefan. "Come on, Bonnie, stop fooling around."

"I'm not kidding, Stefan," said Bonnie. "Elena, Caroline, Damon, and Klaus were cursed. Someone on the other side is definitely pissed at them for some reason and this is their way of punishing them."

"Punishing them?" said Stefan. "Why all four of them? Elena and Caroline did nothing wrong. I'd imagine someone being pissed at Damon and Klaus for the shit they've done, but Elena and Caroline? That's just..."

"I know it doesn't sound logical," said Bonnie. "But, I guess whoever sent this curse from the other side knew that Elena and Caroline were associated with Damon and Klaus and decided that they should receive the same form of punishment."

Stefan sighed. Great, so this was a curse they were dealing with? "Is there a way to break it?"

"I could find one," said Bonnie. "But, it's going to take time."

"How much time?"

"Depends. Is Damon pissed about the situation?"

"If by pissed, you mean actually throwing tantrums like a child, then, yeah I'd say he is."

"Then, this will probably take me at least a day or two, at the most," said Bonnie. "I know that doesn't exactly sound like good news to you, but that's all I can really offer at the moment."

"I understand," said Stefan. "What should we do in the meantime? We can't risk them going out in public the way they are."

"Make sure they don't do anything to put themselves in danger," said Bonnie. "And make sure that they have plenty of blood. They may be in much younger states, but they're still vampires like you and they're going to need nourishment. Not to mention clothing that is age appropriate until I can find a cure."

Stefan nodded. "Right, thanks, Bonnie. And keep me posted."

"I will," said Bonnie. "And tell Caroline and Elena that I'm going to do whatever I can." Even though Stefan couldn't see her on the other end, she rolled her eyes. "And let Damon and Klaus know as well. Wouldn't want their overinflated egos to burst."

Although the speaker phone wasn't on, Damon could hear what was being said. "I _heard_ that, Witchy. Just hurry the hell up with cure."

Stefan sighed and after wishing Bonnie luck with finding the cure, hung up and gave his brother a look. "You didn't have to talk like that, you know. Believe me, I don't like the situation any more than you do, but the least you can do is not act like the child you were turned into."

Elena spoke up before Damon could answer him. "So, is it true? Are we really cursed?"

"I'm afraid so," said Stefan. "According to Bonnie, a witch from the other side placed a curse on all of you. I'm just guessing here, but maybe the curse was originally intended for only Damon and Klaus, but since you and Caroline are dating them, the witch found you guilty by association."

Elena looked at Damon, then to Caroline, and then to Klaus, and back at Stefan. "Shit. So, how long do we have to stay like this until she finds the cure?"

"A day or two."

"A day or two?" said Damon. "She can't find it sooner than that?"

"No, Damon, she can't," said Stefan. "How about instead of acting like a brat, try being patient? I know that's not your forte, but that's the price you have to pay if you want to be normal again. Or at least what you consider normal."

Klaus nodded. "I suppose if we have to endure a temporary second childhood for a day or two until Bonnie can find a way to fix this, then we have no choice." He looked at Caroline, taking her hand in his. "Think you can be patient while we wait, love?"

Caroline nodded reluctantly. "I guess so."

Stefan glared at Damon and then looked at Meredith. "Bonnie said that we should make sure they don't do anything to endanger themselves until she can find a cure. And, since they're still vampires despite being in their much younger states, they're going to need plenty of blood for nourishment."

"So, where are we going to hide them?"

"I'll keep them at the boarding house," said Stefan. "It seems like the safest place I can think of. There's a supply of blood in the basement, but just in case, I'll need you to get some from the blood bank at the hospital. If anyone asks, tell them that you need it for a patient you're treating who needs daily transfusions."

"Sounds risky," said Meredith. "But, for you, I suppose any risk is worth taking."

Stefan smiled at his girlfriend. He knew he could count on her in a sticky situation and he made a mental note to make it up to her when this whole thing was over. "There was one more thing Bonnie said we should do."

"Okay," said Meredith. "What's that?"

"Find some age appropriate clothes for them. At least enough to last until the cure is found."

"I'll take the girls shopping," said Meredith. "Think you can tolerate Damon's attitude long enough to go shopping with him and Klaus?"

"As long as we're in and out of the store," said Stefan. "I think I can."

Meredith could tell that Stefan wasn't exactly looking forward to it, so she offered him a smile, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him softly. Stefan returned her kiss half a beat later, knowing that she was doing this to help him feel better.

When they broke the kiss a few minutes later, Stefan said, "I guess a kiss does make everything feel better. Thank you."

Meredith smiled. "Well, I _am_ a doctor and it goes with the job."

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? Happy New Year and stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Child's Play," Bonnie informs our heroes that it was a curse cast by a witch on the other side that turned Caroline, Klaus, Elena, and Damon into children.**_

_**I know it's been a month since I last updated (the last time being January 1), but since I'm here, I thought I'd update.**_

_Shortly After Bonnie's Call..._

Stefan walked into the children's store, followed by Damon and Klaus. He knew it wasn't easy shopping with them, given the way Damon had been acting. He wondered if finding the cure for the curse was going to be worth it. Of course, there was always a part of him that said that unless Bonnie found the cure, Damon, Klaus, Caroline, and Elena would remain the way they were forever.

"Did you want to talk about it, mate?"

Klaus' question brought him back to reality and Stefan shook his head. "Not really."

"Oh, come on, you know you want to," said Klaus. "You're not thrilled with being here, it's evident in your body language right now. In fact, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave Damon here because he's being such a damn little brat."

Stefan sighed. "It is tempting, but if I do, I'd catch hell from Elena and Meredith. So, I have to try to keep my cool while we're here."

"Fair enough," said Klaus. "But, I did offer."

"You know, it amazing that you're being the complete opposite of Damon right now," said Stefan. "He's being a brat while you're being calm. Tell me, Klaus, what's going on in that head of yours?"

"I'm simply trying not to piss off any witches," said Klaus. "I want to be back to normal as badly as Damon does, but I also know it's not worth it to throw a tantrum."

Stefan raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He said nothing more as they made their way to the boys' department. When they got there, Stefan saw Damon admiring the leather jackets. Figures that he'd want to get something in leather, since he seemed to have to an endless collection of it in his closet. Well, adult sized, of course.

"I see you found something you like."

Damon nodded. "You bet I did. Just because I'm smaller than I was last night, that doesn't mean I can't get something the same size, even if it is temporary."

Stefan nodded as well, taking the jacket from him. "Well, that's one thing. See anything else you'd like? We can get a few more items before we have to get something for Klaus."

Damon looked at Klaus and then back at Stefan. "Can't he find something on his own? I mean, he's a big boy. Come to think of it, _I'm_ a big boy too. I could've easily bought my own clothes, you know. You're not the _only_ one of us who has a bank account."

"Damon Joseph Salvatore, will you stop it?" said Stefan. "I want to be in and out of here, and I'm in no mood for your shit right now."

Klaus smiled. "Oooh. Middle name, you're in trouble, mate."

Damon snarled at the other boy. "Who asked you? And don't think I didn't hear what you said to Stefan about leaving me here. I'd have no trouble flirting with the sales ladies while they call home and say that they found me."

"Stop it, both of you," said Stefan. "Just get what we came here for so that we can leave."

Damon said nothing after that, just stuck his tongue out at Klaus before going over to some racks and picked out some gray and black shirts, as well as some black pants and some dark blue jeans. For good measure, he got some black leather biker boots to go with his new jacket.

After Damon had gotten what he wanted, they moved on to find something Klaus would like. Of course, it didn't take the hybrid to find some henleys, jackets, jeans, and boots. Stefan shook his head and, once they had gotten what they came here for, they went to pay for their purchases. While they were standing on line, a woman noticed them.

"Such adorable boys," she said. "Are they your brothers?"

Stefan looked at her and replied, "Well, the one with the black hair and blue eyes is my brother. The other one is his...well, friend. I'm kind of watching them. Our parents are on vacation and I was left in charge."

"That's responsible of you," said the woman. "And what about his friend's parents? Are they on vacation too?"

Stefan sighed. Shit, these questions are getting annoying and he hated to compel her with so many witnesses around. However, if the questions didn't stop, something would have to be done and being seen would be the least of his problems.

"No, my brother invited his friend to come with us at the last minute."

Damon and Klaus looked at each other as this exchange went on. They could see Stefan's patience starting to slip the more the woman spoke.

"I see," she said. "And how long are your parents going to be gone?"

Oh, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Stefan grabbed the woman by the collar and looked into her eyes, using his compulsion on her. "Listen to me very carefully. You are going to move to the other line and pay for your purchases. Then, you're going to leave and forget we were even here."

The woman nodded and moved to the other line. Once that was done, Stefan turned his attention back to Damon and Klaus, who were looking at him with rather surprised looks. "What?"

"Just amazed how you just compelled that woman and didn't give a shit if anyone saw you," said Damon. "Bravo, brother."

"I'm equally as amazed," said Klaus. "Though, how are you going to explain this to your beloved Dr. Fell?"

"Klaus is right," said Damon. "Meredith is going to want to know what went on."

"It's not like she doesn't know what we are," said Stefan. "If she asks, I'll just tell her the truth. That some bitch was being a pain in the ass and I had to do something to get her to shut up."

Damon and Klaus nodded, still impressed with the way Stefan handled the nosy woman. She was lucky that compulsion was the only thing he used on her. If she pushed him too far, he would've gone all Ripper on her ass.

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? Next chapter: Meredith, Caroline, and Elena's shopping adventure.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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